Cisco and Silatech to provide technology for young Arab entrepreneurs

Cisco's globalization centre will work with Qatar's Silatech initiative to provide collaboration tools to young people and businesses in the region

Cisco's has announced that it is extending its support for Qatar-based social and economic development initiative agency Silatech.

The networking giant says that its globalization centre will work with Silatech to deliver a technology platform for young entrepreneurs and businesses, primarily in the Arab world, to help them to drive programs for economic growth.

Silatech is an initiative that was launched by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned of Qatar, to develop employment and business opportunities for young people in the region. Cisco is a founding member and global strategic technology provider for Silatech, and Cisco boss John Chambers is a member of its board of trustees.

Cisco will now develop a collaboration platform that will help individuals, businesses and other concerned organizations to collaborate on projects. The platform is will include services such as video conferencing and blogging.

Chairman of the Silatech Executive Committee and board member Rick Little said: "Cisco's strategic collaboration with Silatech introduces the power of Web 2.0 to build and support sustainable entrepreneurship and job creation opportunities. We aim to deploy a mix of traditional and social networking tools to connect today's youth with other entrepreneurs and established businesses across the region."

The two companies will also co-operate on the establishment of entrepreneur centres for young people in the region, which will offer training courses on building and growing business and using IT to enable business success.